or·i·gin / ˈôrəjən/ • n. 1. the beginning of something's existence: a novel theory about the origin of oil the name is Norse in origin. ∎  a person's social background or ancestry: they will be asked about their ethnic origin a voice that betrays his Southern origins. ∎  the place or situation from which something comes: an indication of the country of origin.2. Anat. the place or point where a muscle, nerve, or other body part arises, in particular: ∎  the more fixed end or attachment of a muscle. ∎  a place where a nerve or blood vessel begins or branches from a main nerve or blood vessel.3. Math. a fixed point from which coordinates are measured, as where axes intersect.

origin descent, ancestry XIV; point or place of beginning. XVI. — F. origine or L. orīgō, orīgin-, f. orīrī rise.
So original pert. to origin (first of o. sin XIV); sb. †origin; pattern, exemplar XIV; singular or eccentric person XVII. — (O)F. original or L. orīginālis. origination XVII. — F. — L. orīginātiō, derivation of words, f. pp. stem of *orīgināre, whence originate (-ATE3) XVII.

origin (o-ri-jin) n. (in anatomy)
1. the point of attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during contraction of the muscle. Compare insertion.

2. the point at which a nerve or blood vessel branches from a main nerve or blood vessel.